1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to improvements in systems for software registration and, more particularly, to improvements in arrangements where software is transferable by media such as magnetic disks, CD ROMS and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Much commercially available software is provided at time of purchase (or license) on a magnetic media, typically a floppy disk. Frequently the only security feature attached to the software is a simple registration number stored on the media. This registration number identifies that particular copy of the software and it is often required at the time of installation of the software onto any given computer that the installer must provide the registration number independently to the installation routines.
However, such simple security arrangements for the distribution of software on media suffer from at lest two disadvantages: (1) each copy of the software made on any given media at the time of manufacture must include an individual, unique number, programmed into the media, and (2) this arrangement does not prevent copying of the software, once installed on any given computer, to another computer by means of file transfer (as opposed to reinstallation).
WO 92/09,160 to Tan Systems Corporation discloses a registration system which is relatively sophisticated which relies for its security on a requirement that an intending software licensee must obtain from a remote location by file transfer significant and essential portions of the program which the licensee desires to execute. The arrangement disclosed in WO 92/09,160 suffers from a number of deficiencies including:
a. the shell program which the intending licensee initially executes requires a unique identity embodied within the shell prior to distribution of the shell program; PA1 b. the shell program is not, itself, a functional program--that is, it does not include all of the code which the intending licensee wishes to execute. That program must be obtained remotely with all the delays, inconveniences and possibilities of corruption during transit that that entails; PA1 c. the prior art system appears to require and indeed, rely on, encryption to ensure that the program material which is communicated from a remote location is not intercepted for utilization in an unauthorized manner; and PA1 d. it is unclear whether the system can accommodate and react appropriately to the situation where the program, once registered, is transferred in its entirety from one platform to another so as to avoid the requirement for payment of a further registration fee.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,220, assigned to Pride Software Development Corporation, discloses a system for unique recognition of a platform on which licensed software is to be executed. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,220 does not contemplate or disclose utilization of information which is unique to the user or intended licensee as part of the registration process which is to be distinguished from identification of the platform upon which the software is proposed to be run.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,169 to Joshi broadly discloses the same principles as U.S. Pat. No. 4,796,220 in that it discloses a computer software security system which relies for its security on a "machine identification code unique to the machine" upon which the software to be protected is to be run. Again, the disclosure is limited to identification of the platform and there is no suggestion or contemplation of linking platform identification with unique user identification.
Also this arrangement does not allow the flexibility of transfer of copies of the program from platform to platform which can be run in a demonstration mode.
It is an object of the present invention to address or reduce the above-mentioned disadvantages.
Definitions
Throughout this specification the term "software" is to be interpreted broadly so as to include all forms of digital data which are executable on a platform (as to be later defined). The digital data comprising the software can, for example, be code comprising a word processing program adapted to run on a PC or the like. The software can also, for example, be digital data stored on a CD ROM adapted for playback as music on a CD ROM audio drive. The digital data can be displayable information or information which is otherwise usable by a licensed user.
Throughout this specification the term "platform" denotes an environment to be associated with a computing device such as a microprocessor or other data processing device which permits execution of the digital data (to which reference has previously been made in relation to the term "software") whereby the computer can perform functions on input and output devices associated therewith.
In some circumstances, the "software" or digital data may itself be the operating system environment. Typically, but by no means exclusively, examples of operating system environments include the MicroSoft DOS operating system, the IBM OS/2 operating system or the Macintosh System 7 environment. In the degenerate case of microcontrollers operating from ROM, the operating system environment may be the microcode of the microcontroller which enables the microcontroller to execute machine code.
In this specification, "use mode" refers to use of the digital data or software by its execution on a platform so as to fulfill the seller's/licensor's obligations in relation to the sale or license of the right to execute the digital data or software in the use mode. The use mode is to be distinguished from what might generally be termed unlicensed modes of operation (which is not to say unauthorized modes of operation) as typified by the demonstration modes later described in this specification.